Summary
Cover cropping has emerged as a pivotal sustainable agronomic practice aimed at enhancing soil health and sustaining crop productivity. To quantify its effects across diverse agroecosystems, we conducted a meta-analysis of 1877 paired observations from 114 studies (1980–2025) comparing cover cropping with bare fallow during fallow periods in major cereal systems across China. Cover cropping significantly reduced soil bulk density by 6.1% and increased key soil nutrients including total nitrogen (+13.1%), total phosphorus (+15.6%), hydrolysable nitrogen (+9.3%), available phosphorus (+11.1%), available potassium (+12.4%), soil organic matter (+11.7%), and microbial biomass carbon (+41.1%). Leguminous cover crops outperformed non-legumes in enhancing nitrogen availability, reflecting biologi
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.